Bernie Ecclestone’s claim that he was blackmailed by Gerhard Gribkowsky got a boost in court this week.<\/p>\n
Gribkowsky has already been jailed in Germany for accepting the F1 supremo’s alleged $44 million bribe, but 83-year-old Ecclestone claims he was being ‘shaken down’ by the former banker.<\/p>\n
Ecclestone, who could also be jailed if found guilty of bribing a public official, got a boost this week when a witness – who like Gribkowsky worked on the F1 account for public bank BayernLB – testified in Munich.<\/p>\n
Initially, Briton Ecclestone was seen shaking his head when the witness agreed with suggestions the F1 chief executive wanted to “get rid of” BayernLB as a shareholder of the sport.<\/p>\n
“From my point of view, our departure was in his interest,” the former bank employee said, according to Austria’s Kleine Zeitung newspaper.<\/p>\n
“Banks as shareholders were not wanted, in his view,” the witness explained.\u00a0 “I’m quite sure he wanted us to sell.”<\/p>\n
The witness revealed they became less and less involved in the F1 account as Gribkowsky and Ecclestone worked more closely together.<\/p>\n
“It (the witness’ involvement) became less and less and eventually it stopped altogether,” the witness said.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors claim that others were excluded from Ecclestone and Gribkowsky’s talks due to the negotiations about the controversial $44m payment.<\/p>\n
But Ecclestone claims he only paid up after Gribkowsky threatened to divulge false information about his family’s tax affairs to the British authorities.<\/p>\n
The witness on Tuesday supported Ecclestone’s version.<\/p>\n
The former BayernLB employee recalled a letter, containing claims that Ecclestone was still in charge of the Bambino family trust, that Gribkowsky once placed on Ecclestone’s desk.<\/p>\n
The witness said that when Gribkowsky was rebuked for leaving the letter for Ecclestone, “He (Gribkowsky) just laughed”.<\/p>\n
However, it is reported that the very same witness also testified in Gribkowsky’s trial, and the very same judge ultimately issued a guilty verdict.<\/p>\n
Kleine Zeitung said three more BayernLB-connected witnesses will testify on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
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